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Inspired by the arches of Septimius Severus and Constantine, the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel features three archways punctuated by corinthian columns in pink marble. At its very top stands a quadriga. Its rich decoration is completed by bas-relief representations of the major episodes of Napoleon’s 1805 campaign in Germany.

Capping each of its eight columns, statues represent soldiers from the principal corps of Napoleon’s army: the cuirassiers, dragoons, horse grenadiers, mounted chasseurs, foot grenadiers, gunners, carabiniers and sappers.

The Arc du Carrousel is named after the Grand Carrousel, an equestrian pageant organised in the same location by Louis XIV in 1662 to celebrate the birth of his son, the Dauphin Louis of France. The opulence of this event, and the richness of the liveries on display, left a lasting mark in collective memory.

In 2019, thanks to the generosity of more than 4,500 donors, a major conservation project allowed for the preservation of the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel.